Disciple of War Disciple of War (Art of the Adept #4) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,202

ways. You have to be potent enough to stop his magic, your allies need to be strong enough to fight him to a standstill, and then you have to be smarter than him. I think you have a chance with the first two, but the last one—that’s expecting a miracle.”

Will drew a deep breath, then let it out dramatically. “Damn. I’m just filled with hope after hearing that.”

“Sorry. I call them as I see them,” said Arrogan. “Maybe I’m an asshole, but you won’t ever be able to accuse me of blowing smoke up your ass.”

“I guess that’s why I appreciate your advice,” said Will. He deactivated the limnthal and then switched his focus to the heart-stone enchantment that linked him to Selene. Seconds later, her face appeared in front of him.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

He gave her a look that Arrogan would have been proud of. “Exactly where we discussed. I couldn’t contact you while I was in Muskeglun.”

A fire appeared in her eyes, but Selene didn’t vent her ire at his waspish response. As usual, she was better than that. “It’s ready,” she replied, her tone cool and businesslike.

“Already?”

She nodded. “Janice was a considerable help. She’s extremely knowledgeable.”

Will smiled as he agreed, “She’s smart as a whip and talented to boot.”

“And beautiful,” added Selene, her tone neutral.

Uh oh. He gave her an innocent look. “How did I get in trouble while I’m away and you’re with her? Plus, she’s in love with Tiny.”

Selene pointed at her eyes, then at him, but she cracked a smile at the end. “You’re lucky I trust you, especially since you conveniently sent Laina back to Klendon.” Then she switched subjects. “Did things go well with the trolls?”

He tried not to wince and forced a smile instead. “There’s twelve with me now. We’re southeast of you and traveling as fast as we can. I think we can be there in two days or less.”

“Twelve—is that enough?”

“It was the most I could negotiate for,” he prevaricated. It was a small lie. In truth, he’d considered trying for double that number, but after the first round of excisions he couldn’t bring himself to repeat the process.

Her eyes narrowed. “You sound strained. What did you have to promise for their help?”

“I’ll explain later,” said Will. “Suffice to say, I’ve already paid for their assistance, so there’s no debt hanging over my head.”

She never looked away. “You’d better be telling the truth.” Then, before he could make excuses, she continued, “Things are bad here.”

“How bad?”

“Mark’s here now, and we’re close to Myrsta, but the demons have been out in force.”

“What does that mean?”

Selene glanced down, then back up again. “They’ve been sending out warbands, raiding the surrounding areas.”

“Warbands? Why would they raid? They can just wait for the spell-engine to do its work.”

“Your father thinks they’re doing it for multiple reasons. The demons get information about what’s going on in the area, and they simultaneously create fear and chaos. Mark thinks they’re also trying to keep us from organizing effectively.”

“How big are these warbands?” asked Will.

“Big. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of demons,” said Selene. “I would have called them armies, but your father says they’re too disorganized to deserve the name. We fought and eliminated two groups as we approached Myrsta. We’re trying to encircle the city now, so we can stop them from terrorizing the farms and villages in the area.”

Will nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. They’re our people now. We should help them.”

“They’re helping us,” countered Selene. “Several smaller units of the former Darrowan army have joined us since discovering that you recruited their marshal.”

“Maybe the lords will understand what I was trying to do now,” said Will. “If we had taken a hard line with the locals, we wouldn’t have any help now.”

Selene pursed her lips. “Just so you know, I never disagreed with your philosophy. Even so, I’m not sure it will be enough. Mark is under a lot of stress.”

He frowned. Will had never seen any sign of weakness in the veneer of calm control that always concealed his father’s true emotions. “Is he all right?”

She nodded. “For now, but I can tell he’s worried. He’s afraid that encircling the capital will spread our forces too thin, that that’s what the demons want. He’s also worried something will happen to you before you return.”

“He should know better than that.”

“Should he?” she asked. “Despite what you think, he’s just a man, Will. I know you have your reasons, but you’ve always been